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Evaluate Bandura's (1965) Bobo doll experiment with vicarious reinforcement. - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 11 - 2022 - Paper 1
Question 11
Evaluate Bandura's (1965) Bobo doll experiment with vicarious reinforcement.
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Evaluate Bandura's (1965) Bobo doll experiment with vicarious reinforcement. - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 11 - 2022 - Paper 1
Step 1
AO1: Description of the Experiment
Answer
The Bobo doll experiment, conducted by Albert Bandura in 1965, involved 33 boys and 33 girls aged between 42 and 71 months from the Stanford University Nursery school.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups, each containing 11 boys and 11 girls. In the study, children observed a male role model demonstrating aggressive behavior towards a Bobo doll for a duration of 5 minutes.
After observing, the children were then allowed to play with the Bobo doll themselves while their behavior was monitored by two observers for a period of 10 minutes.
Step 2
AO3: Evaluation of the Study
Answer
The design of the study featured a balanced gender mix, which enhances the generalizability of the findings, preventing gender bias.
However, the random assignment of participants did not account for any prior aggression levels, potentially skewing results in one group. Moreover, using a film clip to convey vicarious reinforcement may not accurately replicate real-world learning scenarios.
The 10-minute observation may not adequately reflect the true influence of vicarious reinforcement on long-term behavior, limiting the overall application of Bandura's findings on learned aggression.